From Maine

mermaid36 · Sep 11, 2006

hello all! i just stumbled across this sight over the weekend and love it! i'm a pre-nursing student doing prereq's at smcc. a bit scary, as the hard sciences don't come to me "naturally"-as it they do for some...but i'm determined to make it! this site offers so much support and encouragement. i'm glad there seem to be more of you posting on the maine forum-let's keep it going!

:crash_com

that icon makes me laugh every time...

rninme · Sep 12, 2006

rninme, where oh where did you find that picture of the lighthouse? I love it. It is great how the light flashes from it. I feel fortunate to live in a state with so many beautiful ones!!! (and I have only seen a few) acadia

Siri sent it to me....my lighthouse didn't blink!! She sent me two...I'll see if I can manage to PM them to you.....no guarantees!! My computer skills are limited!!

LOL......great news!!! Just got off the phone with my academic advisor.....I don't have to take the MAT....whoooooohoooooo!!! No MAT no GRE.....got my dancin' shoes on....

ejcimd · Sep 13, 2006

Hi there,

I am a pre-nursing student at UMA, taking all my pre-regs first and have about 5 left after this semester. Right now I have Sociology and Bio 110 w/Lab.

I work Ft for the state and my oldest step son is attending classes at UMA too which is a little weird. But after getting my associates degree as a medical assistant I ended up working for the state at DHHD in the MaineCare services division. Not what I really want to be doing. So I am excited and scared about the future into becoming an RN.

I live in central Maine.

Maybe I'll run into to some of you at school.

acadia · Sep 14, 2006

rninme, I hear your dancin` shoes. Anytime I hear no Mat is alright by me. Now I have forgotten GRE??? Are you an RN already? Is this continueing education? It sounds familiar, but don`t remember. Thank you for the info on the lighthouse. I will have to check PM, I have excruciatingly few computer skills. I am in the wrong places, pages, sites, whatever. I am learning but the curve could be better! Cadia

acadia · Sep 14, 2006

ejcimd, hi. I am curious, what did you do at DHHD? What is DHHD? My children are older, if I were back in school right now, my son would be as well. That does sound interesting!!! Good luck on the pre-regs.It is a good feeling when they are out of the way and that much closer to nursing. I am on the coast, edu was at UMA though. Cadia

Jenny67 · Sep 17, 2006

Hi Everyone!

I'm located in Maine also. I'm a Pre-Nursing student at UMA.

acadia · Sep 17, 2006

rninme, are you still here, probably outside enjoyng this FANTASTIC weather. I will be shortly!!!! Write when you get a chance. Cadia :typing

acadia · Sep 17, 2006

Hi Jenny67, welcome, it is always great to hear from another of us out there. How are you? I am hoping people will be writing again soon.I love having a Maine site. I grad. UMA. Cadia :balloons:

acadia · Sep 18, 2006

AS a graduate from UMA, I would advise anyone to do as much "hands on" during clinicals as you can. It is one thing to do a "procedure" on the dummy, quite different with a real live person!! I wish we had more pharmacology( I know it is up to us) but again, out in practice it is hard to take the time to look up/remember onset, peak, S/E. and pass meds timely manner. Anyway I was well prepared for exam. Studied hard though, read everything. Acadia

voodoosgirl · Sep 20, 2006

So glad to see Maine nurses posting here! I usually check this forum every chance I get and there wasn't much talk until now.

We moved to Maine 6 years ago from Massachusetts. Voodoo the Arabian (my horse) needed a cozy home so we sent him to Maine, he liked it, and we quit our jobs and followed him here. We love it here and although we are from "away" and have made the obligatory city-folk mistakes with the horses, the mailbox, the driveway, the town office etc, the folks in Bradford have been kind enough to let us stay (so far).

I work at a social service agency in Bangor that provides residential services to adults with mental illness. I love this job, the residents and the staff. The "red tape" and bureaucracy I could do without.

Hope we can keep this going. Maine is a great place and the nurses here can be spread very thin, I feel I need a stronger network of nurses to connect with, maybe this forum can help.

acadia · Sep 20, 2006

Hi Voodoosgirl, it is nice meeting you. It has been quiet here lately. I am glad to hear from others, I know what you mean by stronger network. I think it would be helpful.

I used to work with mentally ill adults in that type of setting, as well. It was the best job, I actually went home thinking I made a difference, it was a very good feeling! Also none of the red tape bureaucracy, it was all about the people we were working with.I worked in crisis also, which was very interesting.

I am a transplant but from so far back now, I am rootbound!! take care, hope to talk again Acadia

voodoosgirl · Sep 21, 2006

Hi Acadia,

Every time I get frustrated with the administration, I go to one of the group homes so I can ground myself! I find this work to be very rewarding and challenging.

I do struggle with the system though. State and federal funding cuts, managed care for mental health, prior authorizations. Our folks can have difficulty advocating for themselves at the grocery store never mind on a state and federal level. We are trying hard to build skills for our residents that can carry them through these toughening times.

Talk soon I hope.